DMP #8 - The Shen (神) & Daoist Concepts

In this episode, Damo Mitchell is discussing both the benefits of a conceptual model such as that laid out within the Daoist tradition as well as its limitations. He then goes on to describe the Wu Shen (5 Spirits) in Chinese medicine and why they are a model of fragmented psychology rather than a model of spiritual divinity.
Main School: www.lotusneigong.com
Online School: www.damomitchell.com
#podcast #damomitchell #shentcm

[@bosschad8273]

Yes please do one on the difference between TCM chi and chi gong chi some time.

[@LotusNeiGong]

Yes, as I said it in this podcast, I kind of realized that may be a helpful one

[@earthhorse917]

@@LotusNeiGong This is me shouting angrily due to my interest in hearing these cheese distinguished....of course, 6 months later, you may've already done this and so my liver should relax. Aside, I just discovered your KZbin content....thanks for sharing what you share.

[@benjaminslattery9926]

Thank you Damo After watching Adam Mizner for some time and just starting to gear my life towards extended practise instead of just contemplation. Your insights and how on the mark you stay have been very helpful and I appreciate you sharing with us very much. Your also a crack up, which is needed to let some air in here. Keep on trailblazing❤‍🔥

[@LotusNeiGong]

🙏

[@Traumatose]

Beautiful discussion. Maybe I'm from a rough background, but I can't even imagine becoming upset, offended or angry at these actions that are being apologized for. Hope to learn and understand more soon. Thank you, Mr Mitchell 🙏

[@andrewm4911]

Brilliant talk, thank you:) Brought to mine at times the image of the Buddha pointing to the moon - the message being not to confuse teaching, or the Buddha, with enlightenment. And Bruce Lee- beyond form. And the Buddhist story of crossing the river and leaving the raft behind, rather than clinging to it. Letting go of forms is essential, but do that too soon there isn’t the results of the journey (or bike stabilisers to let go of). Another aspect I find enriching from Buddhism is that middle way between conformist/traditionalist and individualistic/non connected to allow the individual not only to emerge more clearly but also to see that connection and oneness. I’ve listened, trained and watched many instructors and your depth and insight is fantastic-thank you.

[@stevesala101]

Your deep understanding on these subjects saves us so much time.. thank you so much once again Damo.

[@LotusNeiGong]

My pleasure!

[@yanasophia1955]

Excellent, thanks Damo!

[@theshamm]

Pink Floyd! Love the name drop, and, more importantly, the analogy. Thank you for sharing.

[@LotusNeiGong]

🙏

[@Blackridy]

It makes so much sense! I am in my first year of TCM after some years of personal spiritual experiences. Tcm is such a good framework to hold these experiences until its no longer needed to be understood. I guess somewhere in between integration/living and forgetting and being. Anyways great talks, glad I've found such a controversial teacher in a world of self-centered teachings

[@zerocrutch]

I love that flamingo popping in during the intro! Thanks for these chats!

[@LotusNeiGong]

🦩

[@user-uu1cd2tp1v]

Thank you Damo.

[@LotusNeiGong]

You are welcome :)

[@dianorrington]

I can't believe I actually understood most of what you just said. Well done, me. Better done, Damo. More astounding (to me, at least), is how closely your words align with my own experience with my Buddhist, Daoist, TCM and Shiatsu studies and practice over the past few decades. I've only quite recently begun to let go of all I have learned through formal study and practice, and had the confidence to let things become a bit more cloudy before they can clear up, perhaps. Thanks for the Guidance. Looking forward to the controversy. :)

[@LotusNeiGong]

🙏

[@dianorrington]

🙏

[@user-ie8lp1qs5s]

Благодарю за практику

[@sinabehbahani7746]

Great talk . Listen to it for the second time. The argument of psycho- shen parts totally makes sense. However, I think we can almost purify that, and once the individual existence is given up, that's the mystical suicide and full absorption. I feel the human experience is more prime if it maintains the balance of heaven and earth 🌎! Just my idea, Damo!

[@joaocunha5701]

Universal spirit is pure consciousness. In Indian systems the divinity is also composed of both female and male aspects. the male being consciousness and the female potential energy which when in motion becomes what we call creation. I guess in the Taoist concept the same is understood and transmitted in another way. Although consciousness is immutable, what happens within it is subject to change. Wouldn't self-realization be awareness of mutation within consciousness without identification with it? or even not be affected by it? In my cultivation that is based on a Taoist system. The practitioner at a certain level of absorption observes the various bodies and even the five aspects of shen take the form of the observed object as a way of knowing them in all dimensions. Perhaps this is one of the things that sets Chinese medicine apart from alchemy. For in certain states of consciousness aspects of individuality (bodies, 5 shen) serve as screens for us to see and understand the multiplicity of 10,000 things regardless of their form. I know Damion is very busy but I would like for him to comment and give is opinion on what I said here. Maybe a vídeo. Very grateful for the content Damion have posted in this channel.

[@akuujutub]

nice talk, thanks

[@SnakeAndTurtleQigong]

🙏

[@VioletYT]

Could you please elaborate on the topic that TaiJiQuan and BaGuaZhang don't use the extraordinary vessels and meridians? What do they use then?

[@intuitivesean443]

Damo if you don’t mind me asking we’re in Indonesia is your school. The reason I’m asking is I’m getting ready to Retire and would like to be near a good school to do the occasional retreat and to on occasion connect with.

[@macrocosmicorbit3982]

Ubud, Bali

[@intuitivesean443]

@@macrocosmicorbit3982 thank you

[@Labalix]

Nice 👌

[@LotusNeiGong]

Thanks 😊

[@scottkaminski2661]

Also, when viewing the 3 Dan Teins, which aspect of one's being it views their reality will show their flow.

[@scottkaminski2661]

I appreciate You & your view, it is stimulating. I am coming from a Tantric view (Indian & Tibetan) plus Others. As to the 5 Spirits, it is not what you do But how you do it. Within the 5 spirits is the potential of the Divine. But our Karmic view distorts it's action and IT wants us to find the Reality. The Gold is There but can We Extract IT. I'd love to speak if it works for you. 🤘 Ashok

[@Dmm108]

Regarding TMC, TMC studies wellness in the sense that it has a focus on what it means to be in balance with the elements while Western medicine focuses on what's wrong with a particular part or organ and nothing else

[@LotusNeiGong]

I find that this is, at most, a cursory aspect of medicine that gets dropped when TCM is being put into action. I rarely meet a practitioner who is synchronized with the elements, let alone a patient! :)

[@richardallan2767]

Nice talk. Thanks. My theory on theories/systems/frameworks is none of them are perfect or there would be more perfected people.

[@briansprock2248]

Skillful internal dialogue.

[@Corteum]

In my observation and association with Daoist's, I found that they seem to focus too much on increasing their membership numbers than increasing and expanding consciousness or producing enlightened beings. Why is that? And why is it like that?

[@LotusNeiGong]

Sounds like Buddhists, Hindus, Christian’s and everybody else to me 😂

[@Corteum]

@@LotusNeiGong True that. lol It's not just the Daoists obvious;y. But it seems that such an focus on membership expansion is actually not in keeping with their mandate. Almost like they got derailed somehow along the way or lost sight of their own values.

[@LotusNeiGong]

@@Corteum Are we talking Daoist associations or Daoist teachers in the West? I am not sure :)

[@Corteum]

@@LotusNeiGong It was a Daoist organization in Auckland NZ. Was some years ago. They are good people, though. Kind and attentive. they were from taiwan. I wasnt hugely involved with them. it was a relative that invited me to come and learn and recieve the three treasures initiation.

[@Kosta110]

12:17 The glass is just fine, don't worry, cheers.

[@LotusNeiGong]

Cheers! :)

[@darth8freak]

somehow each time I've seen the 5 elements represented in a diagram, there was only one on the top, so the "pentagrams" that those diagrams "formed" weren't satanic. (The satanic one has 2 top points and 1 bottom one.)

[@JM-jd7yp]

When you rent a car you drive in a certain way...when you own a car you drive differently.

[@murrik]

28:00

[@lobsterpapa2672]

The masters will tell you to cultivate yang chi and yin chi but those are two wide bands of energy

[@markallanneuhaus]

the need to explain the fragmentation of the experience of the dao in the life of these bodies is itself a symptom of disunity?

[@LotusNeiGong]

Surely explaining it is also a step towards reversing it? :)

[@drieskeppens1569]

The symptom of disunity is the symptom of unity. Whereas the Dao is something else and still is both of them 🤯🙏😍

[@markallanneuhaus]

@@LotusNeiGong saying it makes it so?

[@LotusNeiGong]

@@markallanneuhaus Not in my opinion :)

[@elyzak333]

Is that a dirty martini? Cheers Damo!

[@LotusNeiGong]

I wish….it was odd balinese juice of some sort…

[@elyzak333]

@@LotusNeiGong 😂

[@elyzak333]

Oh snap! You even commented about it later that it wasn’t alcohol 😂 ​@@LotusNeiGong

[@elyzak333]

Oh snap! You even commented about it later that it wasn’t alcohol 😂 ​@@LotusNeiGong

[@cindyengel5670]

You're not controversial enough ;)

[@LotusNeiGong]

Well, I have been holding back on what I think of the female spiritual scene….that one would be popular 😳😬

[@khoitran6867]

@@LotusNeiGong Please hold nothing back. I'm looking forward to hearing it!